Each year there seems to be one or two surprising players included on Hockey Canada’s world junior selection camp roster. Think about Mathieu Joseph or Zach Senyshyn last year. Drake Batherson may be this year’s surprise camp invitee who goes on to make the final Canadian roster — here’s a look at him and nine other surprises who earned camp invites and then went on to play for their country in years past.
10. Jason Spezza, 2000: Back before we had exceptional player status, Jason Spezza was allowed to enter the OHL with Brampton at age 15 because he was living at home. He then entered the OHL draft and wound up playing his second year in Mississauga. Hockey Canada took notice, and at age 16 he became just the third 16-year-old forward to represent his country at the world juniors, joining Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros.
9. Nick Paul, 2015: North Bay head coach Stan Butler claimed Paul was one of the best forwards in the OHL. While he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, he had size, a wicked shot and was a solid two-way player. Paul ended up making Team Canada and scored three goals for the country’s most recent gold medal-winning team.
8. Tom Pyatt, 2006: Somewhat undersized and playing in small-market Saginaw, Pyatt’s tenacious and responsible play earned him a camp invite. Head coach Brent Sutter got a closer look and couldn’t help but name Pyatt to the roster. Pyatt went on to win back-to-back gold medals, his second in a more prominent role under Craig Hartsburg in 2007.
7. Freddie Hamilton, 2012: It’s not often brothers get a chance to play together on the same world junior team. While Dougie Hamilton seemed like a logical, no surprise pick, Freddie’s inclusion on the camp list was a bit of a surprise based on extensive forward depth. But Freddie played his way on to the roster and chipped in with a goal and seven points in a bronze medal finish.
6. Drake Batherson, 2018: Arriving a little late on the scene has seemingly been a good thing for Batherson, who has spent some time as the QMJHL’s leading scorer. Batherson’s first half in Cape Breton along with two solid efforts in the CIBC Canada/Russia Series earned him a spot on the 2017 camp roster. A fourth-round pick by Ottawa in his second year of eligibility, Batherson’s breakout campaign has him in position to be the next great name known by Canadian junior fans.
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5. JC Lipon, 2013: Lipon started the year on fire for the Kamloops Blazers, not only putting up point-per-game production, but also playing with a serious physical edge. Getting invited to camp was a big accomplishment as he was never drafted into the WHL. His inclusion on the world junior team helped him get selected in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft by Winnipeg as a 19-year-old.
4. Marcus Foligno, 2011: While not quite as offensively gifted as his brother Nick, Marcus made a lasting impression on Team Canada brass with his solid numbers and physical play while with the Sudbury Wolves. Invited to play in the Canada-Russia series, in-part because one of the games was on home ice, Foligno threw his body around and scored a key shootout goal to propel Team OHL to victory. Largely because of that performance, he earned an invite to camp, made the team, and went on to win a silver medal, putting up four points in seven games played for the Red and White.
3. Stefan Della Rovere, 2009: The Barrie Colts power forward also used the Canada-Russia Series as a means to earn an invite to selection camp. His game did not change when debuting for Canada in a gold medal performance in Ottawa. He lead the team with 26 PIMs and added two points. He returned in 2010 and put up six points in six games while wearing an ‘A’.
2. Wayne Simmonds, 2008: While in Owen Sound as a junior, Simmonds displayed many of the same characteristics that have made him such an effective NHLer in Philadelphia. Simmonds started the 2007-08 season with 17 goals and 22 assists to go along with 68 PIMs. His early-season play earned him an invite to the CIBC Canada/Russia Series where he played physically, striking fear into the Russians, especially on the forecheck. He scored Team OHL’s opening goal and eventually earned a spot on Canada’s 2008 gold medal-winning team.
1. Matt Halischuk, 2008: A fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Halischuk went from relative unknown to one of the country’s most memorable world junior heroes. A hard-working, high-character forward, he made the selection camp list with little chance to earn a spot on the final roster. But with his unique ability to play up and down the lineup and as a specialty player on the PK, he scored one of the most memorable goals in world junior history, the overtime winner to defeat Sweden for gold.
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